A method of generating ejection pattern data for a plurality of nozzles for use in selectively ejecting functional liquid droplets from the nozzles is to draw on ore more one chip-forming area on a workpiece. The method includes a pixel-setting step of setting pixel information concerning an array of pixels in the chip-forming areas, a chip-setting step of setting chip information concerning an array of the chip-forming areas on the workpiece, a nozzle-setting step of setting nozzle information concerning an array of the nozzles, and a data-generating step of generating the ejection pattern data for the nozzles from the pixel information, the chip information, and the nozzle information, based on a positional relationship between the workpiece and the functional liquid droplet ejection head. The ejection pattern data are easily and quickly generated for the nozzles arranged in an array in the plurality of functional liquid droplet ejection heads.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A functional liquid droplet ejection device comprising: an ejection pattern data-generating device that generates ejection pattern data for a plurality of nozzles formed in an array in a functional liquid droplet ejection head, the ejection pattern data being used for selectively ejecting functional liquid droplets from the nozzles, to thereby draw on at least one chip-forming area on a workpiece, the device including: pixel-setting means for setting pixel information concerning an array of pixels in the at least one chip-forming area; chip-setting means for setting chip information concerning an array of the at least one chip-forming area on the workpiece; nozzle-setting means for setting nozzle information concerning an array of the nozzles; storage means for storing the pixel information, the chip information, and the nozzle information, which have been set; and data-generating means for generating the ejection pattern data for the nozzles based on a positional relationship between the workpiece and the functional liquid droplet ejection head, and each information stored in said storage means, wherein the pixel information includes color information of the functional liquid droplets and wherein said data-generating means generates the ejection pattern data on a color-by-color basis.
2. A functional liquid droplet ejection device according to claim 1 , further comprising: head motion-setting means for setting head motion information concerning relative motion of the functional liquid droplet ejection head with respect to the workpiece; and head motion pattern data-generating means for generating head motion pattern data for the functional liquid droplet ejection head based on each information stored in said storage means and the head motion information.
3. A drawing system comprising a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection devices as claimed in claim 1 , in a manner associated with a plurality of colors, and drawing means for drawing on the at least one chip-forming area based on the ejection pattern data generated on a color-by-color basis, by the plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection devices.
4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the functional liquid droplet ejection heads arranged on the plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection devices have respective arrays of nozzles arranged in the same number and in the same layout, and assuming that identical nozzle numbers are assigned to nozzles of each array, respectively, starting from one end of the array, said drawing means is inhibited from ejecting the functional liquid droplets to pixels adjacent to each other from nozzles having the same nozzle number.
5. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the liquid crystal display device having a multiplicity of filter elements formed on a substrate of a color filter thereof, the method comprising: introducing filter materials of colors into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming the large number of filter elements by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the substrate and selectively eject the filter materials.
6. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device, by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the organic EL device having EL light-emitting layers formed on a multiplicity of pixels on a substrate thereof, the method comprising: introducing light-emitting materials of colors into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming a multiplicity of the EL light-emitting layers by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the substrate and selectively eject the light-emitting materials.
7. A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device, by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the electron emitting device having a multiplicity of phosphors formed on electrodes thereof, the method comprising: introducing fluorescent materials into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming the large number of phosphors by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection head to scan relative to the electrodes and selectively eject the fluorescent materials.
8. A method of manufacturing a PDP device, by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the PDP device having phosphors formed in a multiplicity of concave portions of a back substrate thereof, respectively, the method comprising: introducing fluorescent materials into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming a multiplicity of the phosphors by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the back substrate and selectively eject the fluorescent materials.
9. A method of manufacturing an electrophoresis display device, by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the electrophoresis display device having migration elements formed in a multiplicity of concave portions of electrodes thereof, the method comprising: introducing migration element materials into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming a multiplicity of the migration elements by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the electrodes and selectively eject the migration element materials.
10. A method of manufacturing a color filter by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the color filter having a multiplicity of filter elements arranged on a substrate thereof, the method comprising: introducing filter materials into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming the large number of filter elements by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the substrate and selectively eject the filter materials.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said color filter includes an overcoating layer covering the large number of filter elements, and the method further comprises, subsequent to forming of the filter elements: introducing a transparent coating material into the plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming the overcoating layer by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the substrate and selectively eject the coating material.
12. A method of manufacturing an organic EL, by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the organic EL having a multiplicity of pixels, including EL light-emitting layers, arranged on a substrate thereof, the method comprising: introducing light-emitting materials into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming a multiplicity of the EL light-emitting layers by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the substrate and selectively eject the light-emitting materials.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the organic EL includes a multiplicity of pixel electrodes formed between the large number of the EL light-emitting layers and the substrate in a manner associated with the EL light-emitting layers, respectively, the method further comprising: introducing an electrode material in a liquid form into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming the large number of pixel electrodes, by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the substrate and selectively eject the electrode material.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the organic EL has opposed electrodes formed in a manner covering the large number of the EL light-emitting layers, the method further comprising, subsequent to forming of the EL light-emitting layers: introducing an electrode material in a liquid form into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming the opposed electrodes, by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the substrate and selectively eject the electrode material in the liquid form.
15. A method of forming particulate spacers, by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the spacers creating very small cell gaps between two substrates, the method comprising: introducing a particle material for forming the spacers into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to at least one of the two substrates and selectively eject the particle material, thereby forming the spacers on the substrate.
16. A method of forming metal wiring on a substrate, by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising: introducing a metal material in a liquid form into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming the metal wiring by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the substrate and selectively eject the metal material.
17. A method of forming a multiplicity of microlenses on a substrate, by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising: introducing a lens material into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection head; and forming the large number of microlenses by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the substrate and selectively eject the lens material.
18. A method of forming a resist having a desired shape on a substrate, by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising: introducing a resist material into the functional liquid droplet ejection head; and forming the resist by causing a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the substrate and selectively eject the resist material.
19. A method of forming a multiplicity of light diffusers on a substrate, by using the functional liquid droplet ejection device as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising: introducing a light diffusing material into a plurality of the functional liquid droplet ejection heads; and forming the large number of light diffusers by causing the functional liquid droplet ejection heads to scan relative to the substrate and selectively eject the light diffusing material.
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January 27, 2005
July 24, 2007
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